Legacy of Kain: True Destiny
by Nathan-Daystorm
Summary: After Defiance, Raziel's son must discover the truth. Whether he likes it or not....
1. Default Chapter

Legacy of Kain  
The True Destiny  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own LoK, that's owned by Eidos and Crystal Dynamics. I DO, however, own Derek, Sizzle, Azrael, and Shia. If you want to use them, please ask first.  
  
Summary: Ok, first of all, this takes place AFTER DEFIANCE!!! So, if you don't want to know the ending, GO ELSEWHERE NOW!! That said, the basic story is that, somehow, Raziel discovered Earth and had a son with a woman he met there. He then returned to Nosgoth, the ending of Defiance occurred (for those who didn't heed my earlier warning, that was your last chance, from here on out I talk about what happened) and the son of the Soul Reaver grows up on Earth as an alienated and isolated teenager. However, something occurs in his late highschool years that requires him to return to Nosgoth and discover secrets that had been hidden from his father. He must then choose to face his own destiny, or to run from it. Depending on his decision, all Nosgoth, and perhaps all Earth, hangs in the balance. Just to warn you if you're expecting action right away, these first chapters lay the groundwork for the characters involved, especially Derek, Sizzle, Azrael, and Shia.  
  
"Derek, time to get up," a voice called up from the first floor of a somewhat large house. A body lying in a bed in one of the rooms rolled over with a groan, black hair falling in various places around his head. Pale skin with a slight blue tint seemed to blend in with the pale, slightly blue tinted comforter of his bed. He required three blankets at the moment, as it was the dead of winter and it was COLD. "Derek! You're going to be late for school," the same voice called, and from the tone and sound of the voice, one could surmise that the voice belonged to the aforementioned Derek's mother. With another groan Derek sat up, the covers pooling around his waist.  
  
"That wouldn't be a big loss," he mumbled to himself before rolling his unresponsive body out of bed, crashing onto the ground. It was revealed that, while Derek was indeed a very slim boy, he was very muscular. He growled, pushing himself up and cursing the inactivity of his body in the early morning. He whipped his hair out of his face to reveal his most startling feature: Iris less, pupil less, white eyes. They remained pupil less for a few moments, and then brown eyes began to appear in them, along with the corresponding pupils. He flicked a locke of hair out of his eyes, revealing five thin claws instead of fingers. His feet, interestingly, only had four toes each. "Will my body never do as I wish," he mused before staggering across the hall into the bathroom. There was the sound of a shower turning on, followed by a sigh of relief from the showeree (note: Hey, I'm writing the fic, so it's a word!) assumed to be Derek. Apparently, once the warm water had hit his skin, his body loosened up and began functioning properly again. His mind. . .that was another matter, something that would be taken care of as soon as he was downstairs. ........................................................................  
  
Derek gunned it down the stairs, much to his mother's grief. "I'm telling you Derek, one day you ARE going to fall and break your head!" Derek didn't seem to respond, instead racing to the coffee machine. He grabbed a porcelain cup, nearly crushing it in his hand, and yanked the pot off of the ebon machine.  
  
"Sweet, sweet wake-up juice," Derek mumbled, proceeding to down the cup in two gulps. "Ahhhh, that's better." He looked up at his mother, not bothering to keep the illusion of human eyes with her. "Now, what were you saying?" His mother shook her head with a laugh.  
  
"Nothing, dear. Nothing. Just don't forget, you have to be at school today." Derek made a very fake puppy face.  
  
"Awwww. . .do I have to? You know how much I hate that abomination of a building."  
  
"Yes, you have to." She paused, her voice seeming to catch in her throat. "Afterwards. . .afterwards, come straight home. I have something that I think you're old enough to see and understand."  
  
"Mom, I'm sixteen. I've been old enough for this mysterious book of yours since I was ten." She didn't say another word, and Derek knew very well that if he continued to push it would end in another argument. "I'll come straight home," he replied, his voice sounding exasperated. She smiled and patted his hand.  
  
"I know you don't understand now, Derek, but you will." Derek glanced at the clock, waved, grabbed his bag, and headed out towards his car. As the door shut behind him, his mother stared at it for a long moment before saying, "In time, perhaps, you'll even understand it all." ........................................................................  
  
At the top of a building, looking down upon a deserted, shadowy alley. . . .  
  
"You say the boy lives in a large home on Juniper and 4th?"  
  
"Y-y-yeah man, just ta-take it easy! Don't drop me!" There was the sound of a cruel chuckle.  
  
"Now, why would I drop you, when your blood is worth sooo much more to me?" ........................................................................  
  
The school day was mostly uneventful. The only thing Derek liked about school was that he got to see his girlfriend, Shia Renfeld. She was strikingly beautiful, with pale skin, black hair, blue eyes, a perfect figure, and the kind of attitude Derek loved. She was so obviously uncaring of what others thought of her. She dressed in dark black, the way SHE wanted, and used black lipstick and nail polish because SHE wanted to, not because it was "in" or to "rebel." He grinned at his own all black ensemble. It consisted of a black shirt, black biker jacket, black pants, and combat boots. It was simple, but it worked for him, and that's what mattered. It was History class, first period, when the phone across the room rang. The teacher excused herself to get it. Her eyes widened as she turned to look directly at Derek. She held the phone away from her ear and said, "Derek. . .you need to take this." He walked over to the phone, a bit concerned by the look on the teacher's face. She squeezed his arm and mumbled something about being sorry as she passed him. He picked up the phone and greeted whoever was on the other line. After a few moments he fell more than leaned back against the wall. His eyes were trying both to widen and close, and tears were brimming in them. He was beginning to sink down to the floor, and the teacher looked to Shia. "He needs to go home," she said, and nodded at Shia. "You're excused for the rest of the day to take him home." They were both seniors, so it wasn't a huge problem if they missed a few days here and there. Shia walked over and lifted the phone to her ears.  
  
"May I ask what's wrong," she asked, obviously worried about the seriousness of it.  
  
"Yes. . .his mother was attacked, apparently. No one got a good look at who did it, but she was very badly beaten. They're loading her onto a stretcher at his house." Shia dropped the phone from a trembling hand and crouched down, her tight leather pants almost not allowing the move.  
  
"Derek, listen to me. You and I are going to go back to your house together, ok? We're going to wait for your mother to get back home, and we'll stay there together until she does." Shia noticed his illusionary eyes disappearing rapidly and hurriedly lifted him to his feet. She walked him back over to the desk, collected both of their bags, and headed out to Derek's car. ........................................................................  
  
The next day, Derek and Shia were sitting on the couch, watching some random scary movie in honor of Christmas. Sure, it made no sense, but nothing did for either of them at the moment, so why not have a little fun? Shia got up to make a bag of popcorn and discovered something a bit startling. "Derek, um. . .does your mother leave books in the microwave often?" Curious, Derek rose from his seat on the couch and walked over to look at the book. It drew him instantly, and he removed it from the microwave.  
  
"It's called. . .Dark Chronicle." Shia stood next to him as he carefully opened the book, both exhaling loud gasps of shocked surprise at the result. ........................................................................  
  
The Dark Chronicle went through its paces, showing the various portions of Raziel's quest, all the way up through the final quest, under a chapter titled Defiance. However, one part bore a grave importance for the male reader. Raziel was thinking deeply about what he was to do in the Spectral Realm of Nosgoth. He tended to wander as he thought, and this time was no exception. During his wanderings, he found a door. Stepping through, he described the feeling as similar to a warp gate. When he stepped out on the other side of the door, he saw that he was in a different Spectral Realm. What was more important to Derek and Shia, though, was that they recognized the surroundings as bleak and run down versions of the mall they always went to when they wanted to by something or torture preps and jocks. The Chronicle then went on to describe how Raziel had shifted realms in a bathroom, disguised himself using a magical spell, and stepped out into the world. It showed how he had been able to live on the Material Plane of this world and could keep the magical disguise up indefinitely. It showed how he had tested the different dimensions to discover that every year on Earth was but a second on Nosgoth. Through this, he was able to prolong his decision by living on Earth. He chose to take more time for his decision, so he remained on Earth. While here, he met a woman, and after several years of dating, and after he revealed to her who and what he was, they agreed that marriage would not be a good thing at the moment. It revealed that Raziel did not trust fully his prophetic "destinty" but knew he had to go back to Nosgoth and try. So, just in case he was wrong, the pair agreed that Raziel would perform a series of magical spells that would allow him one night of life, and during that one night, he impregnated the woman he had met. Not soon after, before the birth of the baby, Raziel returned to Nosgoth, where mere seconds had passed since he'd left. His decision made, he let the Soul Reaver that Kain held suck him in, and he became the spirit within the blade. ........................................................................  
  
Shia and Derek stood staring at the book, amazed it had relayed pictures, and even Raziel's voice, into their minds. What was more shocking, however, was the identity of the woman. Finally, after several long minutes of silence, Shia looked up at Derek and said, with a wobbly voice, "Derek. . .that-that was. . .your mother!" Derek merely nodded. He had much to contemplate.  
  
Note: Well, what do you think? Good? Not good? Not enough yet to judge? Anything I can improve on? I want to let you know now, I've played SR1 and Defiance. All the other games I've read about, so I'm going to do my best to sound like I know what I'm talking about, but certain characters that might otherwise make appearances won't be now. So please, though I have a vague grasp of who Janos Audron is, don't ask for me to include him, because I'm simply not comfortable enough with my knowledge of who he is, his motivations, and other such character information to include him. If you'd like a list of the characters that I can say for sure will be making appearances, then please say so in the review, I'll try to provide a list either in an Author's Note at the top of the next chapter, or if there are enough reviews/requests for a list, I'll dedicate an entire chapter slot to answering them and providing you all with the list. 


	2. Revelations

Thanks a bunch for the reviews. I'd also like to say that I appreciate harsh criticisms, they make me really think about what I'm writing and the why and how of things. However, some things I might want to make clear: The story is set after Defiance, but Derek's birth happened just before the ending. I understand the vampiric condition well enough to know that normally, a child can't be conceived, but I did say that he used magic to gain himself one night of life. That includes FULL life, regaining both the equipment to conceive and the ability to do so. He WAS a vampire, true, but if he was as ruthless as you say, Raziel would not have sacrificed himself at the end of Defiance, he would have continued on his quest to get vengeance for his death. He wouldn't have cared enough to sacrifice himself. True, the skin, wings, and nature of his existence are a deterrent to attraction, but it's my firm belief that love is a powerful emotion, one strong enough to conquer ANYTHING. Is that sappy? Yes, I admit that freely. Naïve? Probably, but I don't really care. That's how I believe, and it was reflected in my writing. You do have a point with the disguising though. I'll have to find a way to explain that, and I thank you for pointing it out. I did put him on Earth, and I feel the doorway in the Spectral Realm is a reason. Is it a good reason? Perhaps, perhaps not, but I will admit it is a bit on the cheap side. I do believe that the Elder God isn't as omnipotent as he claims, so to me that was no real problem. I'm sure many people won't agree with me there, but I really don't care, that's my interpretation of him. People can be strong willed and thoughtful, you know. Just because one makes a decision easily doesn't mean one does so every time, and with such a big decision before him, I doubt even Raziel could get away without a little thinking. I thank you and Syvia for pointing out to me that there are sites with the scripts, I didn't know about them. I only became a fan of LoK recently, and haven't really searched any fansites too extensively. I will read those before continuing, and I've already read the Blood Omen script. Thus far I haven't found anything to truly keep the events of this story from happening, but if I see something like that, then I won't just say, "Oh well, I don't care." As to the subject of Janos, I have learned about who he is, and I have to say that there really isn't much chance he'll appear. This story won't be as heavy on time travel, so besides mentionings of him here and there, I doubt he'll see the light of day. As far as any other characters, I'll have to read the scripts and see whether they could be included in a plausible manner. I will keep it in mind, and if you see anything else wrong, please point it out to me. Also, one last thing: This is just my interpretation of Raziel. We all have different ways of thinking about the same character, so just because one author thinks a certain character would do, act, or say something doesn't mean any other author should. You need to stick to the canon, sure (Raziel wouldn't, for example, dance around in a clown suit, and Kain wouldn't say, "Oh, well, you're just so cute I'll have to let you go instead of feed.") but each piece of canon can be interpreted several different ways. I'm perfectly fine seeing a different interpretation of characters. It makes me stop and think, "Hmm.would this character do this?" So yeah, I do appreciate the criticism and you do make good points, but I would like to ask you to consider that my interpretation of Raziel may be different from yours. I'm fine if our interpretations don't agree and you say that, like Ranmyaku did. That's constructive criticism, because it makes me think about what I'm writing, and it's far from flaming. It's when people start saying, "MY interpretation is right and yours is wrong," is when I get a little frustrated.  
  
Legacy of Kain  
The True Destiny  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Revelations  
  
Derek and Shia sat completely silent on the couch, both of them staring at the book lying in between them. They had spent the last hour going over it again and again, looking for some clue that might point to Derek not being the son mentioned in the book. Unfortunately, such was not the case. Instead, they found a special page that had been rather sloppily jammed into the back of the book. The page was a record of Raziel's last day on Earth. ....................................  
  
Raziel stood with his arm around Derek's very much pregnant mother. "I have to go back," he said, his voice sullen.  
  
"I know, I know. You have to do what it is you have to do. I can't stop you."  
  
"You are far too understanding," Raziel replied, turning his face away for a moment, but then he looked back into her eyes. "I love you, and I love our son already. Please. . .I have a suggestion for a name." She smiled and looked down at her stomach.  
  
"He kicked. He's already got more strength in him than most five year olds. I think he wants to hear what his father wants to call him." A sad smile crossed Raziel's lips, sad because he wouldn't get to see his son, and smiling because he already loved him.  
  
"Derek," he said, and the baby gave another kick. This one Raziel felt, as he had his hand on her stomach. "I think he likes the name."  
  
"So do I." There was a pause, followed by, "Raziel. . .I'll miss you. I'll miss you terribly." Raziel hugged his beloved as tightly as he could without hurting the growing baby.  
  
"When he is old enough. . .," Raziel trailed off for a moment as he searched a bag he carried with him, "give him this." He extended his hand, and in it was a book. Derek's mother took it and held it up so she could see the title.  
  
"Dark Chronicle sounds a bit dreary for a title."  
  
"Until coming to Earth, my life was dreary." She smiled and nodded knowingly, slipping the book into her pocket. "I. . .I have to be going. Please. . .don't let him forget how much his father loved you both." The Soul Reaver had not cried, truly cried, in a long time, yet now he did. She smiled and kissed his lips softly.  
  
"He'll know more than that, my love. He'll know that his father was a hero. Even if he has no idea where or how, he'll know that much." Raziel smiled and glanced at his watch. "You have to be going. Don't worry, we'll be fine." The picture faded from the minds of the readers as Raziel shifted into the Spectral Realm, and Derek's mother stared at the spot he'd stood moments before. ....................................  
  
"Well," Derek sighed, shaking his head, "I guess that settles it."  
  
"Derek. . .what does this mean?" His face looked grim as he shook his head.  
  
"It means. . .many things, I think. First of all, in my mind at least, it means that a random thief did not attack my mother. Something else must be going on. With family history like this. . .it just leaves too much to coincidence." ........................................................................  
  
Those same two voices from the alley, this time in a shadowy booth at a run down strip club. . . .  
  
"M-milord, they-they found the book. . . ."  
  
"Oh, stop your sniveling, Sizzle. I planned for such an occurrence."  
  
"Y-you did?"  
  
"Of course. Think about it. What can you do to strike a boy playing at hero at his heart?"  
  
"M-m-m-master. . .I d-don't know."  
  
"The exact same way you would a true hero. You find something he loves. . .and then you take it away." ........................................................................  
  
It was several days before anything eventful happened. Unfortunately for all involved, it was a rather big event. Shia had walked down to the 7/11 a block away to pick up a few candy bars and junk food for their dinner. She hadn't returned, it was getting late, and Derek was getting worried. He'd phoned the police several times, only to find out that he couldn't put out a missing person's report until forty-eight hours after the person in question has been missing. It had been seven. He was so nervous he'd lost control of his otherwise controlled abilities. He had already bench pressed the entertainment center, after all. Some of those things were going to cost money to replace.  
  
It was creeping toward full on darkness by the time Derek had gotten fed up with calling the police and first asking, then begging, then demanding that they put out a missing person's report. He felt the overwhelming need to go search for her, and it was with this thought in mind that he grabbed a baseball bat (he wasn't stupid enough to go search for a suddenly missing person without some form of a weapon) and his jacket. He wasn't sure where to go, but he knew he had to try, considering the proper authorities were most definitely NOT. As he grabbed his keys, he glanced again at the book that had revealed so much and confused him so greatly. "My father's journal. . .it has caused more pain than ease in my mind." He paused, considering the portent that reading the book seemed to have brought with it. "Something very odd is going on here. . .and I must discover what it is." Turning his face from the book and moving towards his car, he added, "For my mother, and for Shia." ........................................................................  
  
A figure, his identity cloaked in shadow, watched Derek leave his house from the roof of a nearby building. "So, the child begins his search. I was almost wondering when he would choose to do so." The voice was revealed to be different than the one from the alley. The tone of the voice was neutral, so even if Derek had been within hearing distance, he wouldn't have been able to tell whether the voice felt anything about what he was saying. "Lord Kain will be very interested in the boy's progress, but he appears to be determined to find this woman of his. I will have to follow, he will most assuredly need aid before the night is through." With that, the shadowy figure seemed to melt into the shadows of the buildings, and though his eyes could not be seen, they continued to follow Derek on his nightly investigation. ........................................................................  
  
Derek drove first to the police station, hoping to be able to cause enough of a scene for them to just give in.  
  
That, alas, had turned out to be a rather large bust. Instead of getting what he wanted, he had been summarily thrown out of the building, with the added warning that only sympathy held them back from sticking him in a cell for the night and citing him for underage drinking. At first, he'd been rather upset about it, but after having to restrain himself from ripping the door down and making them do something, he realized that instead of whining to the police, he should in fact be out there himself. Shia was HIS girlfriend, after all.  
  
With that resolve in mind, he leaned against his car in the parking lot (let's face it, it's the police station parking lot, who'd be stupid enough to do something there?) and thought about what his next move should be. 'Given my family history, I should probably be checking more supernatural sources than the police or a private eye. I just wish I knew a good place to check.' Another thought struck him immediately after that. 'Wait. . .there IS a store that I could check for help. . .but I don't know if I have time to drive out of state. Then again, I don't even know whether she just didn't pay attention and got lost or something. I guess it can't hurt.' With a heavy sigh, he slid back into his car and pulled out of the parking lot, completely unaware that several pairs of eyes were watching him. ............................................................................ ................................  
  
The store in question was once a very well kept place, always looking freshly painted, with the sign above the door always shining. After several rather idiotic vandals had attacked it because it was "the devil" and "anti-Christian" the lady that ran the store just stopped caring enough to clean it up on a regular basis. Thus, the sign, that had formerly showed the entire name of the store in proud, bold lettering, now was broken in half, the other half gone to the sands of time, and the half that remained faded beyond belief. It read merely "The Crystal" and no one really remembered what the full name of the store was, other than the lady that kept it going. She was a sweet, if sarcastic, old lady of about 65 years, her hair gray with the exception of one white shock that stretched halfway to her lower back. She always dressed modestly, and always treated people nicely unless they got an attitude with her. The store was always decked out with various occult paraphernalia, from the crystal balls of varying sizes to the herbs, incense, and candles that decorated the gardens and shelves. She also had an assortment of weapons, mostly medieval, along the wall, all of which were functional. This is where Derek had come to ask for aid, and he prayed to whatever god or gods was listening that he would get it. He'd been in once or twice before with Shia, who had at one time been a regular customer of the place, so he hoped she would recognize him, or at least remember him as the guy that came with Shia. To his amazement, when he stepped through the door she was already looking at him, as if she'd expected him. "Hello Derek. It's been a long time."  
  
"Hi Ms. Beyhardt. How's business?" The old lady laughed and took a long pull of a cigarette Derek hadn't noticed she'd been smoking.  
  
"Derek, let's cut the crap, ok? I heard about your mother and I'm pretty certain I know why you're here."  
  
"You do, huh?"  
  
"Yeah. You wanna know if there's any way to get more information about your father, or if you can get to where that sword he let himself get vacuumed into is."  
  
"Actually, no, that's not the case. I could care less about either of those two at this point." She arched a disbelieving eyebrow and blew smoke out of her nose. "I'm here because Shia disappeared earlier, and she hasn't been back. It isn't like her not to call, and-"  
  
"Did you read the book?" Now it was Derek's turn to arch an eyebrow, though this was in amused shock.  
  
"Am I to assume one of your spirit guides told you about that?"  
  
"No, your mother," she replied, puffing away on the cigarette. "She cam to me, maybe three years ago, and asked about the book. I read it, had to if she wanted me to tell her what she wanted to know, and I told her the only thing I could: To use her best judgment about when the right time to give it to you was."  
  
"Gee," Derek groaned, sounding like the information had left a bad taste in his mouth, "I'm finding out new things all the time!" The old lady laughed, ended up in a fit of coughing, and had to reach a shaky hand for a glass of water that sat next to her. "Are you ok?" She gave him a sarcastic smile and a wave of the cigarette in return. "Those'll kill you, y'know."  
  
"Sure I do, but then again, how old am I? I've lived long enough, not like I smoked before 50 anyway." With a sigh, she put the cigarette out and chugged the rest of the water. "But let's get serious. Obviously you're not here for small talk, so what do you need?"  
  
"I told you about the situation with Shia."  
  
"Sure did. Ya didn't tell me what you wanted me to do about it, though, or why ya didn't just call the cops."  
  
"I did. There's a little thing about waiting 48 hours, and you know how impatient I can be."  
  
"Alright, so whaddaya expect me to do 'bout it kid?"  
  
"I don't really know. Anything you can think of."  
  
"Ya got a picture of 'er handy? Might be able to do somethin' that way, but it ain't gonna be much." Derek fished his wallet out of his pocket and quickly handed over the picture he always carried of the two of them hugging at the Renaissance Fair two years prior. The old lady glanced over the picture and nodded.  
  
"This'll work. I got your number, I'll give ya a call when I get anythin'."  
  
"Couldn't you do anything now?"  
  
"I'm gonna start now, probably not gonna get any kinda information until tomorrow at the earliest." She saw Derek's poker face was crumbling away and being replaced by concern and exhaustion. "Hey, kid, how long ya been up?" A simple shrug was her only reply. "I got a bed upstairs. Go get some rest." Derek quickly shook his head.  
  
"Nah, I couldn't-"  
  
"Couldn't shmouldn't, now get up there and sleep before I have to play sandman." Derek slowly began to comply, making it halfway before turning back, preparing to say something. "Yeah, yeah, if I find anythin' I'll get ya up ASAP." Apparently satisfied, Derek turned and headed upstairs. "Poor kid," Beyhardt mumbled after he disappeared from view. "Can't see where the road's leadin' 'im, but he's tryin' to drive nonetheless." ............................................................................ ................................  
  
Derek wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep or how long he'd been out for, but he found himself awakened by a rough shoving. "Kid," Beyhardt whispered, "we gotta get outta here. Somethin's outside, somethin' fierce, an' it ain't friendly."  
  
"Can you find Shia after we leave?"  
  
"Nah, I can't, but we gotta-"  
  
"Wait here." Anger boiled up in Derek so fast he barely had time to notice it happening. He hopped off the bed, dodged Ms. Beyhardt's lunge for him, and leapt down the stairs before she could turn around. He immediately strode over to the wall with the weapons on it. "Hmm. . .staff, dagger, punching dagger. . .when the hell did she get nunchaku. . .ah, there it is." His hand hovered above a double-headed battleaxe, the black, carbonless steel crescent blades held in place by a skull that was wedged firmly in between them. The haft was made of the same carbonless steel, with a leather grip at the bottom of the short handle. "THAT'S my kinda weapon." Grabbing it off the wall, he swiftly moved to a window to peer out. There was creaking noises coming from back the way he came, and he spun, only to find Ms. Beyhardt joining him in the room. She gauged the weapon he held quickly and nodded.  
  
"Consider it a Christmas present," was all she said before joining him at the window. "Thing was out in the alley a second ago. Looked big as all hell."  
  
"Too big too fit in the store?"  
  
"We wish." Derek opened his mouth to say something more, but the old lady raised her hand and pointed. "There, I just saw the SOB move." Derek's mouth snapped closed and he nodded.  
  
"Wait here. I'm going out there."  
  
"You're gonna fight it in the open?"  
  
"Please, that alley's so dark this time of night that if I can keep it there, nobody'll even know what's going on even if they walk right past it." Beyhardt gave a very reluctant nod of confirmation and Derek moved swiftly outside and into the alley. The first thing he noticed was a horrible smell, like the reeking of a rotted corpse. Then he noticed that the moving thing WAS a rotting corpse. "Shit, zombie," Derek mumbled, and the thing's head snapped around to look at Derek. It seemed to recognize him, and it let out a cackle. "Sizzle is a good servant. Sizzle will destroy Reaver-son for Sizzle's master, make big reward, maybe be like master."  
  
"Boy, isn't this the most clichéd scenario anybody could dream up?"  
  
"No, not clichéd, end of life. No rebirth for you, just agony, that's what master wants. Sizzle have to do it, do it fast, before big man tell white haired man. White haired man not like master, master destroy Sizzle if white haired man find out."  
  
"White haired man?" Derek's mind instantly thought of the man from his father's book, Kain. 'Nah, this zombie-thing couldn't have meant him. He's not here. This thing must be talking about something or somebody else.' He was jarred from his thoughts as Sizzle slammed into him, having taken the opportunity of Derek's momentary loss in guard. "Oh, you aren't getting another one of THOSE in," he growled and shoved Sizzle backwards. He followed it up with a kick to the gut and a swipe with his axe, but Sizzle was able to dodge the axe. "Damn, you're fast for a zombie!"  
  
"ZOMBIE?!!! SIZZLE NOT ZOMBIE!!!" Sizzle sounded as if he was positively indignant at being called what he was. Derek instantly saw the opportunity before him.  
  
"And what kind of a name is Sizzle, anyway? Damn, your master must be a dumbass if he named you that." Sizzle looked like a bull about to charge. "Geez, guess he's pretty pathetic too, sending some. . .THING to do his dirty work. Is he too afraid to face me himself, or is he just too weak?" THAT did it. Sizzle charged forward, rage at the insults to both his person and his master driving him over the edge. Derek deftly dodged to the left and slammed his axe into Sizzle's back. Sizzle dropped hard to the ground, but was up again in a minute, yanking Derek's axe out of his back and sticking it into the store's wall. "Oh, yeah, you're not a zombie," Derek mumbled sarcastically. He barely had time to make the joke before Sizzle began a frenzied attack with his fists, forcing Derek back into the wall. 'Gotta figure out a way to get this guy to stop moving. . . .' Just then a bolt of energy flew from the window of the store and smacked into Sizzle's back, ripping through the earlier wound and sending him into the wall scant inches from Derek, and Beyhardt leaned out.  
  
"Derek, I got somethin' on Shia!" Sizzle appeared to be unconscious, lying against the wall, the area of his back that had been struck by the bolt of energy living up to his name. "Geez, zombies always have to sizzle when they get hit like that, don't they?" Derek moved over to the opposite wall and yanked the axe out. He turned, fully prepared to take Sizzle's head off, but Beyhardt's voice stopped him. "Derek, we ain't got time, she's on the move! Leave 'im, he can't hurt nobody right yet anyway!" Derek looked to be considering it, and reluctantly, he nodded and moved towards his car.  
  
"C'mon, hop in," he yelled up to Ms. Beyhardt. ............................................................................ ................................  
  
"Are you sure we're going the right way?"  
  
"Look, Derek, all I can tell ya izzat she's movin', ok? We're headed towards her as best as I can tell, but since we don't even know what's goin' on with her, she could damn well teleport somewheres else for all I know."  
  
"Fine, fine, I'm sorry. How much farther do we have to go?"  
  
"Looks like she's up about fifteen miles down the way. It's pretty straight, 'cept for a right turn near the end." Derek's voice caught as he began to speak, and Beyhardt looked up from the map, her eyes widening in shock. There was an enormous thunderstorm that ended in a funneling mass of clouds. "Then again, maybe you should just go that way."  
  
The pair of them had to ditch the car about three quarters of the way there, it was getting too windy to drive straight, and neither one of them wanted to end up wrapped around a tree or a telephone pole. Derek had his axe in hand, his other arm wrapped around Beyhardt to keep her from being blown away by the wind. "I can see her," he shouted over the roaring wind, and indeed he could. He saw what he could only describe as a hole in the air, and he saw Sizzle with Shia draped over his arms. He was holding her out in what appeared to be an offering to a heavily armored man, the hood of his cloak pulled up so that his face was too shadowed to be seen. Derek shouted and darted towards them, letting Beyhardt go. Beyhardt yelled for him to stay put, that she could sense the armored one's power and that it was too great for him to defeat, but Derek either couldn't hear or didn't listen. The distance between the two was closing rapidly, and then-  
  
-and then a huge, barrel-chested man with tree trunk arms leapt forward, grabbing Derek and keeping him firmly in place. His skin was pale, and that combined with his strength obviously amounted to him not being human. "Not now, boy! Save your ire for when you are stronger, when you can beat him," the man snapped in a harsh whisper, but Derek drowned him out with his yells. All the same, he couldn't break free from the man's grasp, and Shia was carried into the hole in the air. The hooded man appeared to be laughing as he stepped through, and the large man darted in after him, though this was obviously an attempt at an attack. Derek took off towards it, but the hole had started to close the moment the hooded man had stepped through, and there was even a little blood from where it had clipped the large man as he barely slid through. Now it closed all the way, leaving Derek completely cut off from Shia. He dropped to his knees and began to sob, then falling onto all fours, his axe clattering to the ground on his right. Slow footsteps seemed to echo across forever, but then three glowing green quartz gemstones, all about the size of the tip of a man's thumb, were dropped in front of Derek's head. "I got some of the energy of that portal stored in the stones, kid. All hope ain't gone. I can't tell ya where that thing goes to, or where it'll deposit you in that place, but it'll get ya there."  
  
"Then open one," Derek sobbed.  
  
"Ya gotta look like one of the locals first kid, and judging by what the big guy was wearing, that's kinda garish. C'mon, I can find ya some stuff in the store."  
  
"I know what I'll wear," Derek growled, getting up, hefting his axe in the process. ............................................................................ ................................  
  
"Um. . .kid, ya look like Catwoman meets Bondage Fairies." Derek had dressed himself in a leather hood with eyeholes, a nose hole, and a mouth hole cut into it, while a studded leather shirt adorned his torso. He hadn't changed his pants, but he had purchased black, knee high boots with buckles going up the sides, and he tucked the pants into them. On his arms he wore leather gauntlets, one for each arm. The last article of clothing he had picked out was a black cape with a hood, which was currently pulled up, while the cape billowed around him in the still present, slightly decreased wind. He had a strap around his chest under the cape, the axe hanging in the right hip area.  
  
"I'll just say I'm some thief. I'm sure they've got thieves, what with the armor and all."  
  
"So why d'ya need that leather hood? I mean, Jesus kid, your mom's gonna kill me for letting you wear that stuff."  
  
"Sizzle recognized me, obviously from a description he'd been given. Apparently other people know what I look like too. I don't know who's against me and who isn't, so I have to keep my face covered at all times."  
  
"What else did Sizzle say?"  
  
"Hmm. . .there's apparently a white haired guy that doesn't like his master. Maybe I can ask him for help."  
  
"Any idea who it is?" Beyhardt sounded like she had an idea of who he thought it was. Derek looked down at the only other thing he was bringing with him besides his axe: the Dark Chronicle.  
  
"Yeah. . .I think so." Beyhardt nodded and turned, finishing some ritual with the stones she'd started while Derek had driven home to get the book and the costume. The wind began to pick up again, and another hole in the air slowly appeared. With a nod of thanks, Derek stepped through the hole, and it closed behind him.  
  
"Good luck kiddo. . .and watch your feet on that road. Ya never know when you might step in roadkill." 


	3. Meetings, Corruption, A Surprising Confe...

Legacy of Kain  
The True Destiny  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Meetings  
  
Corruption  
  
A Surprising Conference  
  
Derek felt an odd disorientation come over him, as if the very universe was spinning around him. He felt a loss of control, a vulnerability that he had never felt before. Doubts began to spring up in his mind as he hurtled through this odd, spinning universe of possibilities. What if he came out in the middle of space? What if this wasn't the right kind of portal? What if the thing those men had stepped into WASN'T a portal? What if he came out in the wrong place? What if he was in the right place in a planetary sense, but not the regional sense? What if the first thing he did upon landing was fudge up some custom and get killed? What if he had dressed incorrectly and was immediately spotted as an outsider? What if this was the same way demons from their world dressed?  
  
Even with those doubts swimming around in his head, Derek knew that they would only remain there as long as he let them do so. He took a deep breath and cleared his mind, knowing full well that doubts would get him killed. Of course, he couldn't help but have doubts about certain things, such as not knowing the territory, but they were colder things, not doubts about one's ability. He hoped he wouldn't need to do much fighting, but he somehow doubted that such would be the case.  
  
There was a swooshing sound, as if he was breaking the seal on some overgrown tupperwear container, and then he was standing on a field, looking at large white pillars. He remembered this place from the Dark Chronicle, and knew that if he went in the wrong direction, he'd wind up finding an unfriendly village. While he wasn't a vampire, he bore some of the traits of vampires, thus if he were to find a village swarming with vampire hunters, he would be hard pressed to find a way to explain them. All that became moot, however, when he realized something.  
  
The pillars were WHITE.  
  
It was a simple enough observation, one he had merely noted the first time he registered that fact. Now he realized that the pillars were not SUPPOSED to be white, not if this was the right time period. He still could not deny the facts before his eyes. He stood before the Pillars of Nosgoth, BEFORE their corruption. A malignant force had not possessed Mortanius, Vorador had not assassinated any of the Nine, and Nosgoth still bore its beauty. Another thought rode in almost on top of the previous one. Ariel was still alive! The specter that would later help both his father and Kain on their quests, was still flesh and blood! 'Maybe I can give her a message to give to my fath. . . .' His inner monologue trailed off for a moment, and when it picked up, it sounded harder, colder, to his mind. 'No. I'm not here to do that, and I don't know how it would affect history. I will not make Kain's mistake, whether it was truly his choosing to do so or not. I have to find out whether this is the correct time period or not, and if it isn't, I have to find a way to get to the right one.' He cautiously crept toward the pillar nearest him, noting with irony that it was the Balance Pillar, and peered around to make sure no one was looking. He doubted anyone would truly care, but he didn't want to take any chances. Certain that no one was watching him, he moved swiftly across the open grass and began to retrace the same steps that his father had once taken to get to this same spot, intending to fight and destroy Kain as he stood, apparently completely unaware of Raziel's presence. What Derek didn't know was how close he would come to fudging up the history of his father's adventure.  
  
He had an uneventful time moving through the path, though he became further and further disgusted by the Sarafan with every vampiric corpse passed. He had never known such persecution, and suddenly the social weeding out that the "popular" kids did at school seemed like an ant to a giant. Here he was faced with true persecution, the brutality of which was still quite evident. Perhaps some of these vampires hadn't done a thing to the Sarafan. That was unlikely given that they were lined along the road that headed towards the Sarafan stronghold, but it was still possible. He moved along, feeling fairly sure of himself and his sense of direction. That was nearly his downfall.  
  
He came out of the path at a spot he truly did not want to be. He was looking at the Sarafan stronghold, and for a moment, he found himself thinking that it looked quite beautiful. That thought was interrupted by two others that were of higher priority. First, he realized that as beautiful as the building itself looked from the outside, there were most likely several vampiric corpses and prizes stored within as trophies.  
  
Second, his father had just jumped out of the water.  
  
Derek quickly slid down into the water, taking a deep breath and plunging himself to the bottom. He grabbed hold of a rock to keep him there. His father COULD NOT see him, it could be disastrous to the timeline. With any luck, no one from his father's adventures would see him, and thus he would do no damage to the timeline. 'But if Sizzle's master is really that strong. . .how can I go WITHOUT asking for help? There are only two people I truly trust to help me here. . .and they are my father and his "father" Kain. My father may in fact help me out of some fatherly instinct, and Kain. . .as long as I hold something he wants in my hands, I feel fairly certain he will help.' He did not need to wonder at what Kain would want. 'I have the spirit of his sword, my father. If I threaten to tell him that no matter what is said, Kain is merely orchestrating his final demise, then Kain will more than likely try to kill me. If I can fend him off and defeat him, then maybe he'll help me.' Just then, unfortunately, he was jarred from behind and lifted up out of the water. He knew he was done for when he saw the three talons holding the bottom of his cape. Looking up, he saw quite plainly that his father had yanked him up out of the water. "I can explain," he uttered quickly, perhaps too quickly.  
  
"WHO are you," Raziel growled at him, "and why were you hiding from me?"  
  
"My name is Derek," he stuttered quickly, and then silently cursed himself for giving his father his true name. Raziel didn't say a word, merely waiting for the second part of his question to be answered. "I wasn't hiding from you, in fact I didn't even notice you were standing there." Raziel looked like he wasn't buying the story in the slightest. "You see, I'm a treasure hunter. . .well, a thief, and I saw that crystal there and thought to steal it. Now that I've been brought into the open, however," Derek stated, sounding irritated towards the end, "I won't be stealing anything. I wouldn't dare risk it now, thank you very mu. . .hey, are you listening to me?" Raziel was no longer paying attention, instead looking at Derek's hands.  
  
"You have claws. They are smaller and thinner, yet. . .there bare some resemblance to the talons that are shared by myself and the vampire race." His glowing eyes bore down on Derek's face yet again. "Are you a vampire?! Were you sent by Kain to try and destroy me before I could get to him?!"  
  
"Kain?" Derek paused in thought, and then silently cursed himself again. He remembered seeing in his father's journal that Kain had been standing at the pillars since Raziel had come out of the Chronoplast chamber, which meant that Kain HAD been watching Derek. "You mean that vampire at the pillars? He looked far too dangerous, I avoided him at all costs." Now for a little motivation, and Derek could be on his way. "I heard him mumbling something about not teaching his lieutenants to be incompetent and tardy, and then-" He didn't get to finish his sentence, as Raziel dropped him immediately, turned, and darted down the path. A hunter had been hiding behind a bush the entire time, but now he rose, and Derek saw that it was a cannoneer. His father would be taken completely by surprise if the cannoneer got a shot off. Without thinking, Derek hefted his axe and sent it soaring, splitting the cannoneer's head open. Raziel heard the sickening wail that the cannoneer made and turned to see Derek collecting his axe. The "treasure hunter" was obviously unaware that Raziel had turned. Noting it in the back of his head, Raziel turned and continued down the path towards the pillars, and to Kain. Derek yanked his axe out of the back of the hunter, only to turn and find two sword carrying men and one halberd equipped female glaring at him. "Oh. Well, ah. . .I guess telling you the Goodyear blimp is behind you is out of the question, right?" The two sword carrying hunters noticed his claws and shouted battle cries.  
  
"Vampire! We will not fall for your disguise!"  
  
"We will wipe thee clean of the earth!" The woman rolled her eyes at her male companions' dramatics.  
  
"Well, uh. . .I'd like to see you try," was Derek's reply. Apparently, this wasn't as lame a comeback as it was on Earth, because the two sword carrying men growled and the first lunged at him. It was sloppy and easy to dodge. "No wonder you guys looked like cannon fodder in the book, you really are." Derek brought his axe up and down swiftly, and the head of the first swordsman rolled across the ground, stopping next to the body of the cannoneer. "Next?" The woman cut in next, hoping to save her inept friend from a similar fate as the other two. She was tougher, as she actually seemed to know what she was doing. Several swipes were exchanged, each one blocked by the opponent, until finally Derek managed to get in a good low swing, hacking off the woman's left leg at the knee. "Geez. . .I didn't realize how gruesome that looked in real life. Sorry 'bout that. Here, let me fix it for you." He brought his axe up and down yet again, and it thunked into the woman's chest. Her body gave a brief spasm and then moved no more. He yanked it out of her chest and looked up at the final member of the crew, waiting for him to make his move. Instead what he saw was a trail of liquid gradually making it's way down the man's pants and forming into a puddle on the ground. ". . .That's disgusting, you know." The man turned and fled, mumbling something about sounding an alarm. "Great, now I've just got to avoid a puddle of piss and hope this leather dries before it begins to chafe." ............................................................................ ................................  
  
As Derek left the area, making various tough climbs to avoid being forced to go too near the Sarafan stronghold, he turned to look at the pillars, having truthfully found them perhaps the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. As he stood, taking in the splendor of them, Kain was telling Raziel to watch what was about to occur, wholly unaware of Derek's presence.  
  
Derek had to force himself not to shout in fury as the pillars were corrupted. 'Vampires. . .how could they do that to such beauty? How could they. . .no. If I were to finish that thought process, I might as well just go and join Moebius' little bunch. Not all vampires are the same. Some deserve to die, while others are merely doing what they must. . .just like me.' At which point, another thought occurred to him. 'Just what am I willing to do to save Shia? Anything would be the obvious answer, and the one I want to say, but. . .I have a feeling. . .a horrible feeling. . .what if my mission forces me to make some hard choices? Moreover, my instincts. . .I must get them from my father. I didn't think anything of killing those three back there. Yet if I were back home, if circumstances were different. . .would I kill?' He let out a mental sigh and shook his head. 'I see why my father used a journal to chronicle his adventures. I need to get one before I go mad from keeping my thoughts in.' With another, this time audible, sigh, Derek turned and began his journey towards the first Nosgothic town he planned to visit: Willendorf. ............................................................................ ................................  
  
"You say you faced a vampire that was helping the creature that escaped the stronghold? What did this vampire look like," Moebius asked, sounding concerned. If Kain had come back, something had happened that Moebius had not anticipated, and given that he was the Guardian of Time, that was quite worrying. After hearing the description of the vampire in question, however, he was both worried and perplexed. "Leave me. Say not a word to anyone of this encounter. Forget that it happened, if you can." The hunter did as commanded, leaving Moebius to ponder this news. "I know not of this vampire that he faced. . .nor have I ever seen or heard of him before. This cannot be right. . .nothing is unforeseen to the Guardian of Time, and yet. . .and yet, this is. I have to confer. . .yes, yes, this is a necessity." ............................................................................ ................................  
  
Moebius stood in conference with his God, having felt the need to do so upon hearing the news of this strange vampire. The Elder was not revealing anything, and was in fact artfully dodging several questions. Finally, Moebius was forced to bring up something he'd done that, more than likely, the Elder would not like. "I have. . .I have looked a bit into the future as concerned to this vampire. . .it is puzzling. He is the cause of several possible divergent timelines, several "coins landing on their edges" as Kain would put it. There is no possible way that this could happen, unless he is present when two Reavers are brought together. . .or unless he is an-" Suddenly the ground shook, and the Elder's voice boomed throughout the chamber.  
  
"SPEAK NO MORE OF THIS, AND LOOK NO MORE INTO THE FUTURE OF THIS CREATURE!!! I AM WELL AWARE OF THE ANOMALOUS NATURE OF. . .THIS ABERRATION! YOU ARE NOT TO CONCERN YOURSELF WITH THIS UNLESS IT THROWS ITSELF UPON YOUR DOORSTEP!!" Moebius issued several swift apologies and claims of obedience to his God. He quickly excused himself, saying he had business to attend to with his men, and slipped out of the chamber, amazed at such a violent reaction from his God.  
  
'An anomaly. . .one so powerful. . .could be disastrous' were his last thoughts before the door to the chamber slid shut behind him. ............................................................................ ................................  
  
Notey notey: Short chapter, yes, but don't worry, there will be more soon. I know what I said about time travel earlier. . .but just forget that, as I've figured out how to include it fairly easily, and it yields far better story possibilities than I had planned to have without it. And don't worry, you WILL get to read about the futures that Moebius saw, but not until later. Oh, and theorize all you like on the "anomaly" business. . .if you can guess the whole of what I mean by it, you get a prize! What is it? Well. . .hmm. . .perhaps you should look to where I have the secret to the meaning of life in a box. Yep, that's it; you'll get the meaning of life if you get it right. Have fun theorizing! Oh, and I'll throw in a keychain of your choice, complete with a. . .MYSTERY KEY! Bum-bum-bum! Teaser for the next chapter: Derek meets Moebius. . .and someone else, as well. 


End file.
